And Not So Pretty Things

I’m not posting a picture of my first needle tatting experiment. It’s hideous. I don’t know if I was using the wrong sized needle or what, but the stitches were very loose. The one tutorial I watched said that after each circle or chain, you knotted the thread, which wasn’t the case in shuttle tatting, and I hate knots, so I didn’t do it. I tried to do it the way I do with shuttle tatting. That, too, may have had something to do with the disastrous results. I’ll try it again, first with a smaller needle without knots, then with the smaller needle with knots.

The actual work of creating double stitches and picots is a lot easier and faster with needle tatting, at least for me, but I still think I prefer the shuttle. Especially if the work continues to be loose; I don’t really like that much.

I did get my Lizbeth and Valdani thread delivered, and the shuttle I ordered from Etsy. All awesomeness in those departments!

The Valdani thread is a little expensive, I discovered. The balls are significantly smaller

(L-R) Aunt Lydia, Lizbeth, Valdani

than I’m used to seeing, although the price is the same as Lizbeth. You can see from the picture what I mean. Aunt Lydia’s is the largest and comes in at about $4. Lizbeth is the one in the middle at $5, and Valdani is the smallest, also at $5. I haven’t yet used the Valdani, so I’ll let you know what I think of it later!

The shuttle is beautiful! It’s very light, and the inlay work is gorgeous. It didn’t cost much either, unless you compare it to the Clover or Aerlit. Then, well, yeah, it comes up as pricy. On the other hand, it’s well worth it. It’s wood, where the other two are plastic. Properly cared for, it’ll probably outlast the two commercial brands.

(Top-bottom) Aerlit, Banyek, Clover shuttles

It’s also a bit bigger than the commercial shuttles, which means it’ll carry more thread. Yay!

I did talk to Ampstrike about making shuttles. He already had a couple made, which look like smaller versions of his weaving shuttles. This is not a bad thing, as I adore his weaving tools and own quite a few of them! He’s also willing to try making a more traditional shuttle as well, and the likelihood is that if he does, I will buy them. He knows very well how much I like his woodwork. I’ve told him pretty often! All of the tools he makes feel like silk in your hands. I’m not kidding; he has a gift. I have tools from other Etsy woodworkers, but none of them feel like the ones from Ampstrike. No, I don’t get a commission for pushing his work, I just like it that much! I wouldn’t endorse it if I didn’t like it or use it. And if endorsing him nets him more customers, it’s a win-win situation for both parties! Tell him Stacy sent you! Hmm, maybe I should talk to him about a commission…lol.

Anyway, it’s just about time to go pick up the mini-mes from school, so I’m going to put some thread on my new shuttle and head out! Have a great day!